5 ways to tell if you're living for God and not for yourself

Are you living for yourself or for God? How can you be sure? To put too much faith in our own answers, we have to be careful. And sometimes we can't trust the opinions of other people, even if they don't want to hurt us.

We can all improve our relationship with God in some way, no matter how we answer this question. Our lives can be more in line with God's plan and not our own. If you want to think about that today, keep reading. 5 ways to tell if you're living for God and not yourself:

1. It's a promise to God.

The Lord our God wants us to live by his rules and obey his commands, just as we are now (1 Kings 8:61, CSB)

When we accept a job offer, we agree to work. In the case of a marriage proposal, we agree to get married if we accept the offer. When we become Christians, we make a promise to God that we will keep.

When we make a promise to someone, it's not the same as what we promise to anyone else in our lives. To be committed to God means to follow God's word and live your life the way he wants.

We live less for ourselves and more for one other.

It is a promise to do something. First, we need to know that we're living for God and not for ourselves. This promise is the first step.

2. Take time for God.

For where your treasure is, your heart will be, too (Matthew 6:21)

In addition to making a promise to God, our devotion to Him is also shown by how much time we spend with him. It's important to think about how much time we spend with our lovers and kids or at work. It doesn't just have to be where we spend most of our time. What we think about the most shows where we are putting our attention

To live for God, you should spend a lot of time with Him, think about Him, and read the Bible a lot. A lot of people set aside time to pray and read God's word in the morning and at night. We do this alone so that God is the only thing that is important.

There isn't a set amount of time that the Bible says that people should spend in prayer and meditation. However, God's word says that this time should go on (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

As long as we don't spend time with God, then how can we say we have a real friendship with him?

3. God comes before your partner.

Because he first loved us, we love (1 John 4:19)

Children aren't as important as a relationship with your spouse because they aren't part of the family structure. The foundation of the family is built on this relationship. It is because their parents help them be the best versions of themselves.

You and your partner were made by God, who is also your partner. He cares for you in ways that your partner can't, like saving you and meeting your deepest desires, things your partner can't even try to do.

With God, we have the power to become more like Jesus Christ, and we can do this. It makes us better people, which both our spouse and our kids enjoy.

We must put God first in our lives. Only then can we say that we love Him first. We can only put our best foot forward then.

4. You ask God, "What can I do to help you?"

As in heaven, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven" (Matthew 6:10)

Having faith means living a life for God. Our lives show that we're living for God if we ask God for help. Doesn't a servant know what the master wants? People who believe in God know what his plan is. When they don't, they ask.

This does not mean that we should never ask God for anything on our own. David, who is a man after God's heart, asks God for a lot (Psalm 13). However, how much we want to serve God rather than be served shows how we feel about him.

We live most for the people we love the most. His or ours?

5. You don't let yourself enjoy things.

"Anyone who goes off the path of prudence ends up in the company of the dead. Pleasure makes people poor. People who love wine and olive oil can never be rich (Proverbs 21:16-17)

When you live in the 21st century, getting what you want right away is something that almost everyone does at some point. We get what we want right away when we want it. This is what instant gratification means. Want to buy something? Take the thing. Buy it now. To look for it: It is yours. It's easy for us to satisfy ourselves with food, pornography, and other things right away.

To live for God and not ourselves gives us the courage to say no to our own wants when they don't please God. Because we say no to ourselves in these situations, we say yes to God because we choose spiritual virtues over fleshly ones. Patience and prudence are just two of the things that are shown.

A prayer for being a servant of God

These are just a few ways to tell if you are living for God and not for yourself. Sometimes we may not be good at something or another. I think it's important to know that we aren't all that perfect. Our sins can't make us immaculate (Romans 3:23). However, we can keep trying to be more and more like Jesus every day, no matter how many flaws we have in our lives. God wants us to do that.

When we think about this, here's a prayer for serving God. It's another thing we can look back to when we need to make a promise to the one who loves us the most.

God,

As a servant, I come to you now. I'm humble and want to serve. You should put your will in my heart. Make sure I know what you want. I want to know how I can help you the best.

Life is like a flower that blooms for a short time and then fades away. We were made from dust, and we will return to dust. While I'm here, I want to serve. I want to serve in a way that shows me that you are my first love.

Not my husband. My children are not. You.

Not my job, and not even my favorite things. You.

Help me understand what you care about. I want to learn from you so that I can show you how much I love you on this day.

Then, you will. Not my own work. Today and for the rest of your life.

Amen.